FORMER Southport schoolboy James Allen, ITV’s voice of Formula One for the past seven years, has received another accolade as a member of a BAFTA winning team.

FORMER Southport schoolboy James Allen, ITV’s voice of Formula One for the past seven years, has received another accolade as a member of a BAFTA winning team.

ITV earned this prestigious award in the Sport category of the British Academy of Film and Television Awards on Sunday evening.

The BAFTA is one of a series of awards that James and the ITV F1 team have received for it’s coverage of the World Championship.

The latest prize resulted from its coverage of the dramatic 2007 Canadian Grand Prix in which Lewis Hamilton won his first ever Formula One race and Poland’s Robert Kubica had a miraculous escape from a terrifying 160mph crash.

ITV Sport’s coverage of this drama-filled race was up against the BBC’s broadcast of the Wimbledon men’s tennis final and ITV’s coverage of the Rugby World Cup semi-final and the Boat Race.

Together with Martin Brundle, the former Grand Prix driver, James, who was educated at Sunnymede School, Birkdale and Merchant Taylors’, Crosby, fronts the commentary team at all F1 races.

“It was a momentous race, with four safety cars and Lewis’s first win,” said James.

“The production, commentary and presentation were again rewarded with this prestigious award and we are all delighted.

“By any standards this is quite a significant vote of confident in the ITV coverage of F1.”

Over the past season and a half, viewing figures have soared as Lewis Hamilton mania has gripped the high speed world of motor racing.

At last year’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, James told the Visiter, “It’s just been incredible, describing Hamilton as “a breath of fresh air” and “the best thing that has happened in Formula One for years.”

It reached fever pitch for James when the 22-year-old narrowly lost the World Drivers’ Championship by just one point from established star Kimi Raikkonen in his rookie season.